Thebasketshouldhavesidesaboutfourincheshigh，andthebottomshouldmeasureaboutsevenandone-halfbyteninches。Thesidesandendsslopeoutward，andthebasketisopenwickerwork。
　　Suitablebowsofribbonontheendsofthehandleandcornersofthebasketconcealthemechanism。
　　Inthepresentinstance，theassistantbehindthescenes，afterreadingandplacingthequestionsinduplicateenvelopeswhichthemanagerhadpreviouslynumbered，sealedthemandplacedtheminthesidesofthebasket，bentuptheflapsintoposition，andloweredthehandlelockingtheminplace。Henowpushedthisbasketintoviewonatableattherearofthestage；andwhenthemanagerwasreadytoreturntheenvelopes，hescoopedthedummyenvelopesfromthetablewheretheylayafterthebagwasemptiedintothisbasket。Hethenliftedthehandlewhichreleasedtheflaps，coveredupthedummyenvelopesanddroppedtheoriginalsintoview。
　　Thesehetookdownandquicklydistributedtothewriters。Beingnumbered，thiscouldbequicklydone。
　　Iwillnowdescribethemethodemployedonthethirdevening。Thistimedummyenvelopeswereplacedinthesidesofthebasket，andthehandleleftinaloweredpositionwhiletheoperatorgathereduptheenvelopes。Asthemanagerreturnedtothestagehetookthebasketbythehandle。Thisreleasedthedummyenvelopes，andcovereduptheoriginalsretainingthem。Heemptiedthedummyenvelopesuponthesmalltableandthenlaidthebasketonatablenearthefliesintherear，andratheroutofview。Anassistantbehindthescenestookouttheoriginalenvelopes，openedthem，andashereadthequestionsrepeatedthemintoasmalltelephone。Thewiresfromthistelephoneranunderthestagecarpettoapairofmetalplateswithatackinthecenterofeachplatewhichpointedupward。Theseplateswerelocatedundercertainspotsinthecarpetanddirectlyinfrontofthemedium’schair。Therewerealsotwootherpairsofwiresleadingtotwootherpositionsonthestage。Themediumwasdressedasa“Mahatma“onthisevening，wearingalargeturban。Alargetasseldangledbyhisleftear，completelyconcealingasmall“watch-casereceiver“whichwasattachedtothisear。Twotinywiresledfromthisreceiver，insidehiscollar，downhisperson，andwereconnectedinsidehisshoestootherwireswhichpenetratedthesolesofhisshoes。
　　Theselatterwiresweresolderedtocopperplateswhichweretackedintopositiononhisshoesoles。Henowtookhispositioninthechairandplacedhisfeetoverthehiddentacks，whichnowcontactedhisshoeplates，completingthecircuit，sothatanythingwhisperedintothetelephoneonthestagewasrepeatedinhisear。
　　Hethengaveafewtests，tappinghisspiritbell，whichwasasignalformoreinformationfromtheassistant。
　　Hesoongrewnervousandwalkedawaygivingatestashewalked。
　　Henowpausedinacertainpositionforamoment，placinghishandtohisheadasifsomewhatdazedandtappinghisbell。Inthispositionhisfeetwereagainovertwoconcealedtacks，andheagainsecuredinformationforanothertest，whichhegaveashewalkedabout。Henowpausedinathirdpositionandgaveanothertest，afterwhichhereturnedtothechair，continuinghiswork。Thismaneuveringhekeptupuntilallthetestsweregiven；afterwhichhefelluponacouchexhausted，butwithhisfeetfromthespectators。
　　Themanagernowsteppedtotherearofthestageandtookthebasket，whichwasnowinplacecontainingtheoriginal？
　　envelopesbehindtheflaps；andsteppingtothesmalltablehescoopedinthedummyenvelopes；thentakingthebasketbythehandles，hesteppeddowntherunwayandrapidlyreturnedtheunopened？envelopestotheirwriters。Theassistanthad，ofcourse，sealedthequestionsinduplicateenvelopespreviouslynumberedbythemanager。Hehadplacedthesebehindtheflaps，andshovedthebasketintoviewonatableattherearofthestage。
　　Iuseavariationofthesetricksinmydoubleparlors。Ihavemadea“billetchangingbasket“asabovedescribed，andhavealsomadeasimilarbasketexceptthatitcontainsnomechanism。
　　Ipasscardsandenvelopestothespectatorsinthefrontparlor。
　　Whenthequestionsarewrittenandsealedintheenvelopes，I
　　gatherthemupinthemechanicalbasket；Isteptoatableintherearparlorandapparentlyemptythemuponit。Inreality，Ihavejustraisedthehandlesothattheoriginalsareretained，andthedummyenvelopesareemptiedonthetableinstead。
　　Inowsteptoanadjoiningroomforaninstant，togetasmalldecoratedscreen。Isecretlyleavethebasketcontainingtheoriginalenvelopesinthisroomandreturnwiththeotherbasketinmyhandinitsplace。Iplacethesmallornamentalscreenonthetablebackoftheenvelopes，butleavetheenvelopesinviewandrequestthespectatorstonoticethatIdonotgonearthemuntilI
　　getreadytogivethetests。Inowcarelesslylaythenon-
　　mechanicalbasketonatableintheroomwherethespectatorsareandproceedwithsomeothertricks。
　　UsuallyIgivetheseriesofexperimentsdescribedinthechapterentitled“MediumisticReadingofSealedWritings。“IstatetothespectatorsthatIwillnotgivethetestsforthesealedenvelopesuntillaterintheevening。
　　Meanwhile，shouldanyonethinkofsuchathing，hecaneasilyexaminethelittlebasket，whichhethinksIhavejustused；asitstillliesonthetableinthefrontparlorwithotherdiscardedparaphernalia，includingslates，etc。Iusenoassistant；soafteratimehaselapsed，andwhenbytheperformanceofothersealedreadings，suspicionhasbeendivertedfromthetestswiththebillets，mywiferetiresonsometriflingerrand。Whileout，sheopenstheenvelopesinthebasket，preparesthesheetofquestions，andplacesitintheBible；thenshere-sealsthequestionsinenvelopespreviouslymarkedbyme，placestheminthesidesofthebasket，raisestheflapsandlowersthehandle。Shethenusuallyenterswithsomelightrefreshmentsforthespectators，whichexplainsherabsencewithaword。
　　Icontinuewithotherexperimentsfortenorfifteenminutesafterherreturn；thenIgatherupmysurplusparaphernalia，includingthedummybasket，andcarryalltotheroomadjoiningthebackparlor，whereIleaveit。IreturninstantlywiththemechanicalbasketwhichIplacenearmyowntable；andthenIgiveanotherexperimentofsomekind。
　　InowpickupthebasketandannouncethatIhavedecidedtoreturntotheirwriterstheenvelopesonthetableinfrontofthescreenbeforeattemptingtogivethetests。Idothisasifitwerealaternotion。Inowscoopinthedummyenvelopes，andraisethehandle，whichactioncoversthemupandreleasestheoriginalsnowsealed。Inowdistributetothewriterstheirenvelopes，whichI
　　cando，astheyarenumberedasdescribedearlierinthischapter。
　　IrequesteachsittertoholdhisenvelopeuntilIshallgivehistest。ThenIusuallyperformsomeotherlittleexperimentbeforegivingthetests。
　　InowtakeupmyBible，whichIwillstakeIbroughtintotheroom，unnoticed，whenIreturnedwiththelastbasket。IthenseatmyselfandleisurelyturntheleavesthroughtheBible，readingverses，andgivingthetestsasbeforedescribed。
　　Ialwaysfirstreadaquestionsecretly，andthenturnbythesheetofpaperandbeginreadingaverseofScripture。AsIdothisI
　　permitthefrontoftheBibletolowerenoughforthespectatorstoseetheprintedpages。Thispreventssuspicion。Meanwhile，thespectatorshaveforgottenthatIeversteppedfromtheroomatallwiththebasket，andeventhatmywiferetiredforsomerefreshments。NeitherdidtheynoticetheBiblewhenIbroughtitin。
　　Theeffectoneachperson，asIcallhimbynameanddescribethe“influence“ofhis“dearone，“givingnamesandmostmarvelousinformation，isfarsuperiortowhatitwouldbewereImerelytoreadthequestionsliterally，andgivetheanswers。
　　ProbablythegreatestswindleeverperpetratedinthenameofspiritualismwasrecentlybroughttolightinStockton，California。
　　Themediumandhisconfederatesmaterializedeverythingfromfrogsandsmallfishtoahugebowlderofgoldquartzweighingseveralhundredpounds。Thislatterhadtobebroughtfromthemountainswithamuleteam。
　　Thematerializingwasdonethroughslidingpanelsinthewalls，whilethebelieverssatholdinghandsabouttheoppositesideofatable，andloudlysingingsacredhymns。Theyhadtheonlydoortotheroomlockedandsealed，andneverdreamedthatthespiritswhobroughtthequartzfromthemineweremules。
　　Thousandsofdollarswereinvestedinthis“spiritmine，“thebelieversstackingtheirmoneyonthequartzasitlayonthetableatadarkseance，andreceivingdeedsinreturnfortheirmoney，whichthespiritsdematerialized。
　　Themediumestablished，orhadhisspiritsestablish，a“TreasuryofHeaven，“forthefaithfultodeposittheirmoneyin，andonwhichtheyweretoreceivefiftypercentinterest。Thisinterestthebelieverscontinuedtoreceiveatdarkseancesfromthespiritsforatime。Eachsitter’sinterestwasfoundonthetablestackedinfrontofhimwhenthelightswerelighted。Whenthespiritbankbecameinsolventandthechiefmediumdisappeared，thebelieverswereoutaboutthirty-fivethousanddollars。
　　NolessapersonagethanamillionaireofTacoma，Washington，issaidtohavecontributedlargelytothisspiritfund。Ihadknownofthiscaseforsometimebeforetheexposureconductedbyaperformerengagedforthepurpose，andknewthatcertaininterestedpersonswerecontemplatingbringingitabout，inordertorescuecertainestimablepersonsfromtheclutchesofthesemediums。Thiswassuccessful；andtheconfederatesofthemediumsignedwrittenconfessionsinthepresenceofoneofthemostdevoutofthebelievers，andagentlemanwhoisotherwiseveryintelligent。Uponthisthegentlemanwasgreatlycrestfallen，buthestillinsiststhattherearecertainmediumswhoarenotimpostors；andthatcertainmediumsinChicagowhoproducespiritportraitsaregenuine。
　　AfullandveryinterestingaccountofthisexposureisgivenintheSanFranciscoExaminerofMarch3and4，1907。
　　Icouldreportenoughcasesofmaterializationtofillavolume。
　　TheseIknowof，fromvarioussources，andineverycasetheywereinvariablyfraudulent。Iwillgiveashortaccountofamaterializationwhichaveryexpertmedium，whoisonfriendlytermswithme，witnessed。Thegentlemanwasoriginallyaminister，andafterwardsbeganinvestigatingspiritualism，ashewasabelieverinit。Hehopedtobecomeamedium；andatonetimepaidtwoladymediumsofsomerenown，whoresideinChicago，threedollarsasittingforthreesittingsaweek。Thesesittingswereconductedforthepurposeofdevelopingthisgentlemaninmediumship。Hecontinuedthisforalongtime，buthewasnonearertobeingamediumthanhewasinthebeginning。
　　Atonetimehedetectedoneofthesisterspassingaslatetotheother，andsubstitutinganotherinitsplace。Hesawtheedgeofoneoftheslatesprotrudingfrombehindthedressofoneofthesisters。Theyneverknewtheywerediscoveredashesaidnothing，butthis“openedhiseyes。“Afterthisheinvestigatedeverywhere，andateveryopportunity，andgrewtobeaveryexpertmediumhimself。
　　Recently，wheninLosAngeles，hevisitedaseanceconductedbyamediumwhoclaimedtobeaBuddhistpriest。Thismediumwasknownunderthenameof“TheReverendSwamiMazzininanda。“Hehadanaltarinhishome，constructedsomethinglikethoseinRomanCatholicchurches。Hehadvariouscandlesandimagesonthisaltar，includinganimageofBuddha，andalsoanumberofmysticalfigures。Itwasagreatmixtureof“fake“Buddhism，RomanCatholicism，andmodernspiritualism。ThemediumalsoworethecostumeofaBuddhistpriestathisseances。
　　This“priest“heldserviceshereforthefaithful。HeconductedallinHindoostani？，hisnativetongue。Hechanted，prayedtoBuddha，etc。，allinaqueer-sounding“gibberish。“Certaineveningsoftheweekweredevotedto“soul-travel，“andcertaineveningsafterthereligiousservicesa“BlackChapter“washeld。
　　ThegentlemanwhomIhavementionedattendedoneofthesedarkseances。Hesatwithotherspectatorsaroundtheroominperfectdarkness。Thespectatorswerenotrequiredtoholdhands，sogreatwastheirfaith。Finally，inthedarkness，aqueer-looking，vapory，luminousformfloatedaroundintheairandpausedinfrontofthespectators。Myfriendslippeddownquietlyonhisknees，andgraduallyworkedcloserandclosertotheluminousform，untilhecoulddetectthatthevaporwasakindofluminous“cheesecloth。“Hedidnotdesiretoexposethis“priest，“buthedesiredtohavethe“priest“knowthatsomeonehaddiscoveredhim。Myfriendaccordinglytookholdofthegauzeandgaveitaveryslightdownwardjerk。Hethenimmediatelyreturnedquietlytohisseat。
　　Therewasanimmediatepauseinthediscourseofthe“priest，“whohadreallybeenfloatingthisformontheendofastick。Everyoneknewthatsomethinghadhappened，butnoonebutmyfriendknewwhatitwas。The“priest“thensaidinhisslow，peculiar，eccentricandmeasuredtones，“Ihavereceivedaverygreatshock；
　　andIwillbeunabletocontinuefurtherthisevening。“Thenextday，wheninconversationwithsomeofthe“faithful，“this“priest“statedinhispeculiarmannerofspeaking，andwithintenseearnestness，thatwhichfollows：“LastnightIreceivedaverygreatshock。Iwasjustinthemiddleofthe’Dark